For the better part of the past year, Pablo Torre loomed large over every Kawhi Leonard headline. Torre and his Pablo Torre Finds Out staff won the Pulitzer Prize for the investigative series into the Los Angeles Clippers’ salary cap circumvention, resulting in a historic punishment levied by the NBA.
Leonard received a $700,000 fine, but after that, his trade from the Clippers to the Toronto Raptors finally went through, and the Raptors also gave him a handsome contract extension this week.
On Thursday, Raptors All-Star Scottie Barnes literally loomed over a substantially more positive news segment about Leonard.
CTV News reporter Sean Leathong stood outside the OVO Athletic Centre in Toronto, where Raptors general manager Bobby Webster held a press conference to discuss Leonard’s return to the franchise. It was a totally regular live TV hit, except for the fact that Barnes was casually posted up in the background.
Scottie Barnes had some fun while CTV’s Sean Leathong was live on air 😭💀
(via CTV/CP24) pic.twitter.com/8nNp2PyaZP
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 24, 2026
“Scottie Barnes behind us, just enjoying a little bit of lunch and a little bit of the shade outside,” Leathong said. “Just trying to keep it cool for much of the afternoon.”
Barnes sauntered over to Leathong and stood over his shoulder, where he proceeded to make hilarious facial expressions throughout Leathong’s report. It’s unclear whether Leathong knew what Barnes was up to behind him, but either way, he powered through.
“The Kawhi Leonard deal has been done,” Leathong said. “The extension has gone through for $115 million over two seasons that will see him potentially retire as a Toronto Raptor.”
An animated Barnes mouthed, “Yes!”
“But there’s a whole new trajectory to this team now, because we know we brought in Kawhi Leonard,” Leathong continued. “We’ve got players like Scottie Barnes who are here.”
The Raptors posted the clip, writing that Barnes “might be the funniest person in the city.” Barnes can officially swipe Leonard’s “fun guy” crown with a stellar showing at the Raptors’ media day next Tuesday.
About Megan Armstrong
Since first getting published as a student by the Kansas City Star in 2013, Megan Armstrong has gone wherever curiosity and stories have taken her, specializing in sports, media, music, and culture coverage. She also has an extensive background in interviewing and profiling public figures. Her work has appeared in Billboard, Boardroom, Bleacher Report, Esquire, GQ, GRAMMY.com, NYLON, Newsweek, Teen Vogue, The Hollywood Reporter, UPROXX, and elsewhere.